为什么狗会嚎叫？

颜丹

Sometimes there is no reason at all， but other times howling is a verbal clue to whats really going on in your pup.

Weve all seen and heard the haunting images of the lonely wolf howling at the moon， but is the wolf lonely and is she really howling at the moon？ Scientists cant even answer why do dogs howl at certain times but that howling wolf does give us some clues as to why dogs howl today.

有時根本没有理由，但有时嚎叫是一个口头线索，告诉你小狗到底发生了什么。

我们都看到和听到过孤独的狼对着月亮嚎叫，但是这是因为狼很孤独吗，还是它真的对着月亮在嚎叫？科学家无法回答为什么狗会在某些时候嚎叫，但狼的嚎叫确实为我们提供了一些线索来说明为什么今天的狗会嚎叫。

Theyre getting back to their roots.

Its said that Breeds that have ancestral1 roots to wolves， like the husky， Alaskan malamute， Akita， and Shiba Inu are more inclined to howl. Its not so much that dogs howl because they are anxious， but rather as an atavistic2 response to bring their pack back together. When a dogs pack—which now consists of its owners or family， is out of sight for long or not providing the attention the dog wants， these breeds use their vocalizations to signal to the “pack” that its time to get back together. Every dog has the potential to be a howler or a barker but canine3 experts say these breeds make the quietest roommates.

他们出现了返祖现象。

据说，有狼血统的品种，如哈士奇、阿拉斯加雪橇犬、秋田犬和柴犬，更倾向于嚎叫。狗之所以嚎叫并不是因为它们很焦虑，而是一种召集它们群体的返祖反应。当一只狗的“狗群”（现在由它的主人或家人组成）很长时间没有出现，或者没有予以狗所期望的关注时，这些品种的狗会用它们的叫声向“狗群”发出信号，表示是时候聚在一起了。每只狗都有可能嚎叫或吠叫，但犬科专家说，这些品种是最安静的室友。

They miss you.

Two telltail signs of separation anxiety are howling and acting out destructively. The best way to help a dog that is acting out in these ways is to get them outdoors and running around. It can keep your dog happy and ease separation anxiety while youre at work.

他们想念你。

分离焦虑的两个明显迹象分别是嚎叫和破坏性行为。要帮助一只有这种行为的狗的最好方法是把它们带到户外，四处跑跑。这能让你的狗在你工作的时候保持快乐，缓解分离焦虑。

Howling is a dogs social media platform.

Ever wonder why do dogs howl at sirens4 or when the kid plays the trumpet？ They may howl in response to stimuli like sirens， music， or fireworks. It is simply a dogs way of communicating. Dogs in the wild used to howl to communicate with each other over long distances. In our urban world， howls from the pack are replaced with sounds like sirens and music， but dogs still have the atavistic response of howling back.

嚎叫是狗的社交媒体平台。

你有想过为什么狗会对着警笛，或者在孩子吹喇叭的时候嚎叫吗？它们可能会对警笛、音乐或烟花等刺激做出反应而嚎叫，这只是狗的一种交流方式。野外的狗过去常常嚎叫，以便长距离地相互交流。在我们的城市里，狗群中发出的嚎叫声被诸如警笛和音乐的声音所代替，但是狗仍然有返祖的嚎叫反应。

Theyre just doing their job.

When it comes to pack life， dogs have specific jobs to do. Some are scouts who venture out and howl back to the pack that they are hot on the trail of something. Back at pack central， the leader of the pack will howl to call the scouts home or alert them of threats or potential predators. While evolutionarily5 beneficial in the wild， howling is now often a source of complaints in apartment buildings where these larger and more active dog breeds have a lot of pent up energy.

他们只是尽职尽责。

说到群居生活，狗有特定的工作要做。它们有些是探子，冒着风险，冲着狗群大喊大叫，说它们正在追踪什么东西。回到狗群中心，狗群的首领会嚎叫着把侦察兵叫回来，或者警告它们有威胁或者有潜在的捕食者。虽然从进化上讲，在野外嚎叫是有用的，但现在在公寓楼里，嚎叫往往是抱怨的来源。在公寓楼里，这些更大、更活跃的品种的狗的大量精力受到了压抑。

Howling works！

“If your pup howls and you give him tons of attention， he will learn to howl any time he wants a pet， a walk， or even a treat from the kitchen，” says Colleen-Demling Riley， a canine behaviorist. If youre confident he is not howling because he is sick， then ignore it and calmly praise him for being quiet.

嚎叫有用！

“如果你的小狗嚎叫，而你給予它大量的关注，它会学会在任何想要爱抚、散步，甚至在厨房要吃的的时候嚎叫。”狗类行为学家科琳德明·莱利说。如果你确信它没有因为生病而嚎叫，那就忽略它，并平静地赞美它的安静。

They dont feel good.

Why do dogs howl when they are in a crate6？ Dogs may howl when they are sick， especially if they are crated or confined， as a way to let anyone in earshot theyre not feeling well. You should be aware of these other signs your dog isnt feeling too well.

它们感觉不太舒服。

为什么狗在箱子里时会嚎叫？狗在生病时，特别是当被装入板条箱或被困住的时候，它们可能会嚎叫，以此作为一种让任何人在听力范围内发觉到它们不舒服的方式。你应该察觉到狗感觉不太舒服的其他迹象。

I got a squirrel！

Hunting breeds such as beagles7， foxhounds， and basset8 hounds howl to alert their human hunting partner when they locate prey. Some may howl at the base of the tree until their human partner shows up. And howling acts an audible signal to reunite the dog and hunter if they get separated in the field.

我抓住了只松鼠！

猎犬类，如比格犬、猎狐犬和巴塞特猎犬会嚎叫，以便在找到猎物时提醒人类捕猎伙伴。有些可能会在树下嚎叫，直到它们的人类搭档出现。如果狗和猎人在野外分开，嚎叫能发出声音信号，让它们重新会合。

You have no idea.

Sometimes， you dont have a clue to why dogs howl， but if howling is something new for your pup， you should find out why. Call your vet9 if you suspect something is amiss10.

你不知道。

有时，你并不知道狗为什么嚎叫，但如果你的小狗以前从没嚎叫过，那么你应该找出原因。如果怀疑有问题，就打电话给兽医。